2012 FORD EXPLORER — Complaint #2126178
Open-data reference.
NHTSA Complaint about TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM filed September 2, 2025
NHTSA complaint #2126178 (ODI reference 11684439) concerns a 2012 FORD EXPLORER and was filed on September 2, 2025. The owner reports the failure occurred on August 31, 2025. The vehicle had 170,000 miles on the odometer at the time of the incident. The report was geocoded to Illinois based on the filer's self-reported location. The affected component is categorized as traction control system, one of NHTSA's standardized taxonomy codes used to group defect patterns across make, model, and year.
The filer flagged the following severity indicators: crash: no, fire: no, injuries: 0, fatalities: 0. No crash, fire, or fatality was associated with this report, which places it in the early-warning stream rather than the priority-review stream. Because a VIN was supplied, this complaint is tied to a specific vehicle and not just a model-year cohort.
Individual complaints are consumer-submitted and unverified by NHTSA engineers — the agency's role at this stage is to collect, index, and make them searchable. What matters for federal action is the pattern: when many owners of the same FORD EXPLORER cohort independently describe similar traction control system failures, defect investigators have grounds to open a PE and request manufacturer data. Related filings for the same vehicle and component appear below, and the detail page for the full 2012 FORD EXPLORER shows the complete component-level complaint distribution alongside any active investigations or recalls.
Complaint Description
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the traction control and check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that a minute and a half later, while attempting to make a right turn, the steering wheel became firm, and added effort was needed to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Complaint Details
| NHTSA Complaint ID | 2126178 |
| ODI Number | 11684439 |
| Date Filed | September 2, 2025 |
| Failure Date | August 31, 2025 |
| VIN | 1FMHK7D86CG |
Similar TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM Complaints for 2012 FORD EXPLORER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT STATED THE SERVICE TRACTION CO
MAY 2013 (13490 MILES) WAS DRIVING 30 35 MPH POWER STEERING WENT OUT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WENT ON, I TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. ALL WAS OK. TOOK TO DEALER AND DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING RACK DECE
Source: NHTSA Vehicle Complaints Database. Component taxonomy and severity codes are standardized by NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.